


I trust you

by salvatorestjohn



Category: Legacies (TV 2018)
Genre: Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Blood Drinking, Blood Sharing, Hurt Milton "MG" Greasley, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mentioned Hope Mikaelson - Freeform, Protective Kaleb Hawkins, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-07
Updated: 2019-04-07
Packaged: 2020-01-06 11:53:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,683
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18387926
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/salvatorestjohn/pseuds/salvatorestjohn
Summary: Nothing in Mystic Falls ever goes to plan. Everyone knows this; from pageants to school dances, to rescue missions to save the newest addition to the inner circle of supernaturals. Whatever it is, it's bound to go wrong.





	I trust you

Nothing in Mystic Falls ever goes to plan. Everyone knows this; from pageants to school dances, to rescue missions to save the newest addition to the inner circle of supernaturals. Whatever it is, it's bound to go wrong.

Yet, when Dr Saltzman asked him and MG along on the most recent road trip to go and track down a potential new recruit who may need some supernatural assistance, Kaleb barely considered all the ways it could go wrong. He thought of the most obvious ones right away, having just gotten past dealing with all of the new monsters trying to free Malivore.

Then he brushed it off because MG was agreeing with a bright smile and turning his head to stare at him with those convincing eyes, his eyebrows raised. So, Kaleb said yes. He got in the van along with MG, the twins, and Hope, and they set off.

A mistake on his part, he thinks now as he wishes that he had remembered that even when you leave Mystic Falls, the curse of the stupid little town still follows. If he had, maybe he wouldn't be lost in the middle of the woods with MG while trying to outrun possible hunters. Or maybe more of Triad's employees, he didn't get a good look at them considering they were shooting at them.

He uses another bit of vamp speed but forces himself to stop once he thinks they're a safe distance away. For now. There's only so much that blood bag Lizzie slipped him can do, and he'd rather not risk leaving himself drained.

He quickly steadies MG, one arm already around his waist and one of MG's hooked over his shoulders. It's slipping and Kaleb notices him slumping into him a little more than before.

"Hey, hey, MG." Kaleb tries to shake him gently to get him to look back up at him. "You still with me, man?"

MG's only response is a weak groan right before he slumps forward. Kaleb's eyes widen and he curses but grabs him, securing him upright. He only does it for a few seconds, just long enough for him to safely lower him to the ground, slower.

"I'm fine," MG says, but his eyes are still half-closed and his voice is raspy.

He coughs as Kaleb gently helps prop him up against the tree behind him. It turns into more of a wheeze, then another groan, his head rolling to the side.

Kaleb eyes him, that bubble of worry and panic only expanding in the pit of his stomach. A part of him doesn't know what he should do. He's almost expecting MG to start coughing up blood at this point and is just waiting to see if he's really stopped or if he's going to have to start panicking. Thankfully, he stays quiet. 

"You're not fine," Kaleb says, shaking his head. "Look, I got that bullet out but... you're not healing fast enough, so I'm gonna take a wild guess and say that it was laced with vervain. Either that or there's still a piece of it inside you. Now, I know I don't pay that much attention in _Vamp 101_ but tha—"

"I'll be fine," MG cuts him off, turning his head back to look at him. There are beads of sweat on his forehead and any movement only seems to make him grimace in pain. "We just need to... to find Dr Saltzman and the others."

Kaleb rolls his eyes, exasperation joining his already entangled mess of emotions. It's mostly so he doesn't have to focus on just how weak MG sounds right now, how pained he looks. If finding Dr Saltzman or even Hope — even one of the twins and their witchy syphoning ability — was that easy, they would already be on their way back to the school.

"MG, face it." He looks him in the eyes, his own softening around the edges. "You need blood. It's the only way you're gonna heal enough for us to get out of here alive. And don't even try suggesting I leave you to go find help. You wouldn't make it two minutes."

MG is shaking his head before he's even done talking, his face screwing up.

"No, no, I can't," he says, "you know I can't. We just... we just need to—"

"You're barely conscious right now," Kaleb points out. "Soon enough, that vervain is gonna make you too weak to even move. Or worse considering all it would have taken is a couple inches to the left and it would have hit your heart."

There's a beat of silence as MG just continues shaking his head. Kaleb isn't sure he even heard half of what he said. He's never seen a vampire that's been shot with a vervain bullet before, but he's read enough about it to have been prepared. At least he thought he was.

His stomach twists and swoops and he sighs, glancing away. 

"Look, man, I know you don't want to feed, alright?" he says, his voice quieter now, gentle as he looks back at him. "But I don't see or hear any little bunnies or squirrels running around here. I think we might actually have found the one forest that doesn't have any wild animals. But we're right on the edge of a town. We can grab someone and you can feed enough to start healing, and—"

"No," MG repeats, a little more pleading now. "I'll be fine. Once... once the vervain's outta my system, I'll be fine. You are."

Kaleb sighs again. "Yeah, because Lizzie slipped me a blood bag before we left. Human blood. I don't know where she got it from, but it's what's keeping me going right now. You took a sip from one of the school's bags and that's it. You're not strong enough to heal on your own, MG."

MG doesn't say anything, just stares down at the ground. Somehow that's worse than his constant mumbling.

Kaleb groans quietly, tipping his head back for few seconds as he tries to think. He throws a glance over his shoulder as the worry creeps its way into his throat. There's some distance between them and the possible Triad hunters, but he's not sure how long it's gonna take them to catch up with them again. 

He turns back to MG and just stares at him for a good few seconds. His eyes move down to his chest; the dark spot on his t-shirt has stopped growing, but it's still not great. Kaleb can partially see the wound through the hole the bullet left behind, and if it's healing, it's certainly not showing it.

If anything, MG only seems to be growing weaker.

"You need blood, man," he tries again, now the one pleading. "I'll stop you from going too far, but I'm not gonna sit here and watch you die."

"I can't." MG's voice cracks on the words, holding Kaleb's gaze with that sad look in his eyes. "I'll kill them. You saw what happened last time, and... I can't become a ripper. I won't."

Kaleb sighs again, looking away, his eyes darting around them. He knows he can't force him; he wouldn't be able to bring himself to no matter how much easier it would be for both of them. 

Something clicks in his head, his eyes widening. Just a little piece of information he read somewhere, or maybe he heard it from Dr Saltzman or someone else. Whatever the source, he's got a good feeling about it. Considering it's their only option right now, he's choosing to be optimistic for once.

"Feed from me."

MG stares up at him, and Kaleb's pretty sure he thinks he's lost his mind. 

"What? That's not... that wouldn't work, that's the whole point of needing human blood."

"No, it can work," Kaleb insists. "Vamps do it all the time. It's just... not that common, probably because most of us prefer the human stuff, but we can feed on other vampires the same as with humans."

MG's eyebrows furrow in confusion, but it's obvious he doesn't have the strength to try and question it further. His eyes are fluttering closed every few seconds now, his chest heaving.

"It won't..." he manages, trailing off right before another cough claws its way out of his throat. 

It continues for a few seconds longer than Kaleb thinks it should, turning into a groan at the end. MG presses a hand against his chest, dropping his head back against the tree as he takes in deep, pained breaths. 

Kaleb makes up his mind for the both of them. He won't force human blood on him, but he can stop MG from going too far with him. All he needs is a few drops, at the very least. He can't sit for another minute watching the life slowly drain out of him like this. 

"This is gonna work, I promise," he says.

MG shakes his head again, rolling back to look at him. There's a scared look in his eyes as they follow Kaleb's hand to his sleeve, watching him pull it back. 

"Kaleb, please," he says, lifting his eyes to meet his. "I don't want to hurt you, I — I won't be able to control it."

Kaleb sucks in a deep breath and stops. "Do you trust me?"

MG falters, his lips parting slightly. Not because he doesn't know the answer, Kaleb can tell, but because he's scared of what happens after he gives it. He breaks, nodding.

"Of course I do," he manages to say. 

"Then trust that I trust you," Kaleb says, making MG's eyebrows lower in a frown. "I know you'll stop. Because you don't wanna hurt me. So, just... trust me. Please?"

There's a pause as Kaleb holds MG's gaze, waiting. He watches him swallow, his expression shifting slightly, considering it and probably running through the possibilities he can conjure up while poisoned with vervain. Then he's nodding.

"I trust you," MG says, giving him the last little push he needs.

Kaleb quickly resumes what he had been doing, pushing his sleeve away from his wrist. He shifts closer to MG on his knees before bringing his arm up to his own mouth. His fangs pierce at the skin of his wrist to make it easier, quickly drawing blood. 

Then he moves it in front of MG, his right hand slipping behind his head to prop him up. 

"It's alright, you can drink," he encourages him, his voice soft. "I trust you."

MG obviously tries to resist. He looks back up at him for a split second, that fear of hurting him lingering in his eyes. Kaleb just nods, the corners of his mouth curving up. He pushes down the slight twist in his stomach.

It almost hurts to see how hard he struggles with the urge. MG closes his eyes, but Kaleb spots the veins turning black underneath them. The scent of blood just inches away from him becomes too much.

A sharp but brief flash of pain shoots up his arm as MG's fangs sink into his wrist, giving in. His hands come up, grabbing at his arm, holding it in place as he drinks.

It's a strange sensation; he's never exactly been on the receiving end of a vampire feeding. It makes his chest tighten and his head go a little bit fuzzy, but it's not unpleasant. It's almost nice, in a weird way. Sort of satisfying, even. 

His eyelids have already closed halfway as he swallows, nodding more to himself. The smile on his face sticks in place, his hand still on the back of MG's neck, his thumb stroking gently over his skin. 

"That's it," he says softly. "See? Not so bad."

MG doesn't respond. He doesn't slow down either, but Kaleb isn't worried. It's not as draining or painful as he thought it would be. A part of him wonders if maybe MG is still restraining himself in some way, careful not to push himself too far, even subconsciously. 

He just breathes out a quiet sigh, enjoying the feeling it leaves in the pit of his stomach; warm and almost content-like. Doing some more research on feeding on other vampires is definitely at the top of his list of priorities for once they find their way back to the school. Making sure MG doesn't die from starvation is just above it, followed by getting them both the hell out of here.

MG's fangs only seem to dig deeper into his wrist the longer that it takes for Kaleb to decide to pull him away. With it comes another sharp surge in his arm, but it's still not one of pain. It's like there's a rope slowly wrapping itself around his chest but not too tight, just enough. If anything, all it does is make Kaleb lean into him a little more.

It only lasts a few seconds longer though before there's a rush of something cold in his wrist, leaving him with an almost exhausting emptiness that quickly spreads through the rest of him, extinguishing the warmth that had been happily building inside of him.

His eyes open fully and he looks at MG. He's pulled back, hands still holding onto Kaleb's arm but no longer feeding. He's just staring at the bite marks on his wrist, his eyes still red and the veins underneath black and pronounced. Kaleb can't help but notice the blood dripping from lips, down his chin. _His_ blood.

Brushing off the weird swoop in his stomach that that thought brings, he frowns. "Why'd you stop?" 

"I... I didn't wanna hurt you," MG says slowly. "So, I stopped."

It takes a second or two for the realization to kick in and MG's stunned expression makes sense. Kaleb's eyes widen a little, but the smile on his lips tugs up even more, a hint of something close to pride slipping through. 

"See, you can stop," he says, half-teasing. "Dorian was probably being all paranoid. It's just gonna take some time for you to adjust to feeding, that's all."

"I'm not gonna become a ripper?" MG adds quietly, half-phrased as a question but the relief in his voice clear. He inhales, nodding to himself, and it's like he breaks.

His shoulders slump and he finally turns his head to look at him. Kaleb just watches as his eyes fade back to their usual colour and the veins sink back beneath his skin. He smiles at him, nodding back. 

"You're gonna be just fine."

His eyes slide down to the spot on MG's chest. The relief hits him as well now, surging up through him. His blood seems to kick in and the skin over the bullet wound on MG's chest starts healing right in front of his eyes. 

He already knew their blood could heal humans and witches, and maybe werewolves, but where they stood on the ability to heal other vampires was a little uncertain. At least now he's positive. 

MG glances down as well. The hand he had pressed to his chest moves down slightly and his fingers brush over the former wound, now completely healed up as if he was never even shot. 

His eyebrows raise and he huffs out a sigh of relief, maybe a little bit of awe. "I guess you were right. Vamps can feed on other vamps."

"How do you feel though?" Kaleb asks, his head tilting. "This is sort of my first time with this whole thing, so I'm not entirely sure how it works. You got enough, right? I don't know if you need more 'cause it isn't the human stuff. Is it weaker?"

MG takes a second to respond, shaking his head slowly. Then he flicks his eyes back up to meet his.

"No, no, it's... it's stronger," he says, and a small grin spreads across his face. "As weird as it sounds, it actually tastes better. Then again, I've only had human blood a maximum of twice in my life. Or, after-life, I guess."

Kaleb laughs quietly at that, and MG joins in, ducking his head. The last of the worry that had been lingering inside of him about this not working disappears as he watches him, reassured by how much more alive MG already seems. 

The joking, the bright little shine in his eyes when he looks up at him, and the smile. It's lopsided and still a little weak from the injury, but the blood's already giving him back the lost energy. 

"Hey," MG's eyebrows draw together, "drinking your blood isn't part of the whole sire line thing, right? I read about it somewhere in Origins of Species, and I'd rather you didn't have any sort of vampy mind control over me. No offence."

Kaleb rolls his eyes but shakes his head. "Nah, man, don't worry. I'd have to have turned you."

MG seems to accept that with a nod. His eyes move back down to Kaleb's wrist, still holding onto his arm. The bite marks are already healing over, but Kaleb notices the slight shift underneath his eyes for a split second. He tilts his own head, something else creeping back into his mind.

"But... maybe don't tell Dr S that I let you feed from me," he adds, bringing his attention back up to him. He shrugs at the questioning look MG sends him, ignoring the swoop in his stomach. "It's supposed to be a big deal, I guess. I don't see the problem, but you know what Dr Saltzman is like. You needed blood, I gave you blood." He rolls his eyes. "Big deal."

MG nods slowly, a thoughtful look on his face. Then he smiles at him.

"Okay, I won't say anything," he agrees. "It'll just be between you and me. You pretty much just saved my life and helped me realize I'm not gonna become a ripper, so, if you wanna keep it between us, I'm fine with that."

Kaleb smiles back at him. A part of him can't help but like the idea of no one else knowing about this. Plus, he can just imagine Dr Saltzman's face if he found out. The lecture would probably be a lot less stern than the one he got for feeding on humans, but he's pretty certain it would end in embarrassment. Mostly for Dr Saltzman.

"So, does this mean that I can finally convince you to feed with me?" Kaleb asks, half-joking. "Now that you know you're not going to go all ripper on them, obviously."

MG's face falls, the happy smile slipping away. He'll admit — though not out loud — that he hates when he's the cause of that.

"Kaleb, I..." He shakes his head and sighs. "Just because I might be able to feed on humans, doesn't mean I'm going to. Or want to. They're still innocent people who deserve to be treated as more than just... breathing blood bags."

Kaleb rolls his eyes. "Relax, I was kidding. Mostly."

MG raises his eyebrows and Kaleb just brushes it off. 

"What about blood bags I sneak from the hospital?" he prompts, mostly out of curiosity. MG doesn't seem to be as opposed to that, though still, Kaleb gets the feeling he's reluctant. "What about, while I drink from blood bags, you... drink from me?"

MG hesitates at that, rolling his head in a way as if he's going to protest again. His lips part but nothing comes out right away, dropping Kaleb's stare. Kaleb takes his uncertainty as an opportunity.

"Come on, it has to be better than bunny blood," he says, gesturing his hand vaguely before realizing MG's still holding onto his arm. Ignoring it, he continues. "Plus you're way less likely to get thrown in the cellar with me if Dr S ever finds out. You need more than a bag of weak, diluted animal blood once a night and we both know it. At least this way, you'll have a bit more vamp strength, and you won't have to think of those poor little bunnies while you're feeding."

MG shakes his head slowly, but Kaleb can see the consideration in his eyes. It forms into more of a hint of doubt and concern, his eyebrows drawing together as he looks back up at him. 

"I can't do that," he says like it should be obvious. "I — I can't just feed on you, that's... it's not right. Tonight was an exception. And — doesn't it hurt anyway? I mean, I'm literally drinking your blood, that has to hurt you."

Kaleb can tell he's grasping at straws. Why, he's not sure, when he could easily just come out and accept his offer instead. It would save them a lot of time, and it's not like Kaleb can't tell he wants to say yes. His heartbeat alone would be enough to tip him off. 

"Trust me, it doesn't hurt," he assures him. "You know that feeling you got when you drank from me? Warm and a little fuzzy in the head. Satisfying? It was the same for me, too. Honestly, I was probably enjoying that as much as you were, so don't hold off on my account."

He can't help but give the slightest curve of a smirk when MG's breath visibly hitches. It's amusing how easy it is to fluster him with just a couple of words, even if it was entirely unintentional. The implication underneath is obvious and has MG swallowing, then nodding again, his movements still slow. 

"You're sure?" he asks carefully, arching one eyebrow at him. 

Kaleb grins, nodding back. "Yeah, positive. It'll help you get used to it; ease you into drinking something other than bunny blood. That way, we can do the whole vamp thing together. You up for that?"

He watches MG's face, a gleam in his own eyes at the thought. Feeding together, being at full strength. MG feeding from him again. He's pretty sure that it's not supposed to feel as good as it did, and even just briefly trying to imagine one of the other vamps back at school doing it doesn't sit right with him. But MG is different.

Kaleb likes being the one to help him with this whole blood control thing, and that MG trusts him enough to let him. It might mean sneaking a few extra sips from the blood bags he manages to get his hands on, just to keep his energy up, but that's perfectly fine with him. He just has to do a little more research into if this is actually going to work; if it feels as good as it does, and MG's already livened up from just a small amount, how could it not?

MG's decision is clear on his face. Kaleb's already smiling when he meets his eyes again, nods one more time, a little more certain now, and voices it. 

"Okay," he says. "If you think it'll work, then... I'm in. But you have to tell me if it gets too much or you change your mind, okay? I'm only agreeing to this for as long as you're sure you want to, 'cause you already said that this whole vampire feeding on other vampires thing is a big enough deal for it to be better kept a secret, so I don't want to make y—"

"I promise I'll tell you if I change my mind," Kaleb cuts him off with another roll of his eyes. "Not that I'm going to, but if it'll make you feel better about it, then I promise. Now, can we maybe get the hell out of here? Unless you need more blood?"

MG shakes his head right away, but the smile he sends him has Kaleb's stomach tightening. 

"I'm good. I got enough." His expression falls, quickly replaced by one a little more serious and grim. "But you're right. We should go before those guys catch back up with us. I'd rather not take another vervain bullet, especially not while trying to save your ass again."

"Hey, I didn't ask you to jump in front of me," Kaleb reminds him, but his mouth pulls down in a frown. He tries to force a joking smile. "You really need to get rid of that hero complex of yours or else I'm gonna be the one having to take a bullet for you, and I don't wanna do that. Being shot doesn't look all that fun."

MG laughs lightly as he finally moves to get to his feet, keeping hold of Kaleb's arm as he follows his lead. The hand he had kept resting on the back of his neck slips down now as they stand. He takes a moment to make sure he's steady, just in case the blood isn't working as well as he thought or it's already losing its effect.

"Don't worry," MG says, glancing down as he lets go of Kaleb's arm, his fingers brushing over where the bite mark had been. He looks back up at him, shooting him a bright smile, that glint in his eyes. "That hero complex of mine would stop me from letting you take a bullet for me. We're all good."

Kaleb gives an amused scoff at that, making MG's smile widen as he ducks his head, adjusting the ripped hole in his t-shirt. He tries to push down the twist in his stomach as he takes in a deep breath. The thought of MG taking another bullet for him sticks in his head. 

He can't let it happen, he's already decided. Next time, he'll notice them faster, before they can shoot at them.

"Alright, we can talk about how there's no way you're doing this again once we're back at the school," Kaleb says, his eyes darting away, glancing over his shoulder. "Let's go. Dr S can't be that hard to find, and if it comes to it, I'll just look for the sound of arguing. That's sure to lead us to Hope and the twins."

MG laughs again, agreeing. He doesn't even bat an eye as Kaleb rests a hand in the middle of his back, a part of him not wanting to let him go. It's probably just him being protective because he's a couple of months older and Dr Saltzman trusts him to look out for him. He can't stand the thought of something happening to him again, especially not while he's around. 

They make their way through the woods, and thankfully, it doesn't take long for them to find Dr Saltzman and the others. All they get is a rushed explanation of how they weren't with Triad but were definitely intent on killing them. Then they're in Dr Saltzman's car and on the road back to the school in a few minutes. 

"You doing okay? I thought I saw you get hit when they shot at us," Kaleb hears Hope ask quietly from the backseat, MG next to her, and Josie on his other side. He pauses, turning his head to glance back at them. 

MG's eyes dart over, meeting his for a split second as his lips part. A small smile spreads across his face and he turns back to Hope. 

"Yeah, they did get me, but after Kaleb got the bullet out, I guess my vamp healing kicked in," MG says, nodding. Her eyebrows raise slightly but she's obviously more relieved than questioning. MG looks back over at Kaleb. "I feel a lot better."

Kaleb smiles at that and turns his head back to face the road ahead. It's a strange little feeling of satisfaction, a warm ball in his chest, just beneath his ribcage. What it means, he has no idea. Right now, he's just glad they're both alive. Maybe also a little bit excited to see what comes out of this new plan they have between them. Thoughts of it stick in his head the entire way home as he listens to MG talking away to Josie and Hope, and on the occasion that Lizzie jumps in, her as well.


End file.
